Domestic appliance



Jan. 17, 1933. E 1,894,5 4

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Original Fild March 31, 1 2 "r Sheets-Sheet 11213755555? [nu/55TH"- RALPHL.LEE.

Jan. 17, 1933. LEE 1,894,564

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Original Filed March 51, 1925 7 sheets-Sheet 5EALPHL. LEE.

3 WQLQN Jan. 17, 1933. R. L. LEE

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed March 51, 1923 [721757575? '1 AL PHL-LEE Jan. 17, 1933; R. L; LEE

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Original Fild March 51, 1923 'r Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan.17, 1933. R. L. LEE

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Original Filed March 31, 1925 7'Sheets-Sheet 6 5mil... I

a n E U m RALPHL-L Er.

g Mada 56514277351?- Jan. 17, 1933. R. L. LEE

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Original File d March 31, 1923 4[HUEHZ'DT' EAL, FHL.L EE. -W

H5 in-71w" Patented Jan. 17, 1 9 33 unrree STATES PATENT OFFICE RALPH L.LEE, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T .TJELCO-LIGHT COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO,A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Application filed March 31,1923, Serial No. 629,201. Renewed November 6, 1930.

The present invention relates to clothes washing apparatus and aims toprovide an improved method of washing clothes and apparatus by means ofwhich this method can be effectively and rapidly carried out.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent from the following description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of thepresent invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved laundry machine;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the washing machine certain parts being shownin section, the view being taken in the direction of arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the drivingmechanism for operating the washing machine;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is an end view looking in direction of arrow 7 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 88 of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view of the washing machine tub Fig.'10 is a fragmentary plan View of a portion of the perforated baffle orfalse bottom;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the frameconstruction, the section bein taken on line 1l11 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 12. is a mechanical and electrical diagram partly in perspectiveshowing the reversing mechanism of the laundry unit;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged plan view of the washing machine motor reversingdevice;

Fig. 14 is fragmentary plan view showing how the mechanism shown in Fig.13 can be adapted for manual control to reverse the wringer motor;

Figs. 15 to 18 are diagrammatic views illustrating the mode of operatingthe washing machine; and

Fig. 19 is a view of a chart showing a comparison between the action ofthe tub produced by the driving mechanism in the present invention andthe action produced by the usual crank motion.

Referring to the drawings the frame 20 of the laundry apparatuscomprises a main or end frame 21 upon which is mounted a power head 22for operating the tub 23. Main frame 24 is spaced from the frame 21 byframe tie-bars 25, 26, and 27 which are connected to the frames byscrews 50. The frame 24 provides a post 28 upon which is swinginglymounted a wringer 29 having a. driving mechanism 30. Casters 31 areprovided for the ready movement of the laundry unit.

Washing machine drive The frame 21 is provided with a boss 31asupporting at one end the power head 22. The power head includes a motor32, and the armature shaft 33 provides a worm 34 which meshes with aworm gear 35. WVorm 34 and worm gear 35 are located within a gearhousing 36 which is connected by screws 37 with the boss 31a. Gear 35drives a shaft 38 journaled in the frame of the gear housing 36 and inthe boss 31a.

Gear housing 36 is provided with an opening which is enclosed by a cover40 held in place by screws 41 and provided with an oil filler openingclosed by the plug 42, the level of the opening determining the level towhich lubricant can be placed within the gear housing 36. The boss 31ais provided with diagonal passages 43 and 44 to provide conduits fordelivering oil to the bearing in the boss 31a and for draining excessoil. A groove 45 at the inner end of the boss 31a is adapted to receiveoil, the excess draining into the oil reservoir in housing 36 by meansof passages 46 and 44. The gear 35 and worm 34 are submerged within thelubricant and are adapted to cause the circulation of lubricant withinthe gear housing 36 whereby the passages heretofore mentioned aresupplied with the required lubricant.

The side frames 20 and 21 are provided with horizontally aligned andoppositely disposed bearings 51a and 52a for axles 51 and 52,respectively. Axles 51 and 52 are connected by means of screws 53 tospiders and 55 attached to tub 23. A sector 57 1S freely rotatable onthe shaft 51 and meshes with a pinion 58 carried by the driving shaft38. Referring more particularly to Fig. 5 the sector 57 includes an car60 to which is connected on opposite sides thereof a series of leafsprings 61. These springs 61 are located on opposite sides of a stud 62carried by the spider 54 (see Fig. A U-shaped clip 64 fits around thesides of the springs 61 and over the stud 62 and is held in place by acotter pin 65. Clip 64 prevents the springs 61 from being dislocatedduring the action of the device while at the same time permitting thestud 62 to slide relative to the springs 61.

The sector 57 is provided on the end thereof with bumper springs 67 heldin place by screws 68 and which are adapted to strike against the topwall 69 of the frame 21 and thereby absorb the shock produced by thesector 57 striking the top wall 69, should the sector at any time movebeyond its usual limits of travel.

The top wall 69 of the side frame 21 extends a substantial distanceinwardly so as to form with the side of the tub 23 a housing whichencloses substantially the gearing. The wall 69 does not however extendbeyond the end of the spider for a purpose to be explained hereinafter.

The opposite spider 55 carries a stud 71 which in turn carries a springclip 72 connected with an equalizing spring 7 3. Spring 73 at its otherend is connected with a spring clip 74 which is attached by means ofstud 75 to the end frame 24. The stud 71 is mounted in direct alignmentwith the axle 52 and the stud 75 when the tub is in its center position.

With this type of frame and tub support structure the tub can be readilyremoved without dismantling any of the supporting structures. The cotterpin 65 is withdrawn and the U-shaped member 65 is removed. Then, byremoving screws 53, the axles 51 and 52 can be removed through the sidesof the side frame 21 and 24. The location of the motor 32 with respectto the axle 51 is such that the axle can be withdrawn far enough toclear the spider 54. It is not necessary to remove the axles 51 and 52manually. The spiders 54 and 55 are provided with camming surfaces 76 asis shown on the spider 55. When the tub is moved upwardly the cammingsurfaces 76 will force the axles 51 and '52 outwardly to clear thespiders. As the tub is moved upwardly the spider 54 will clear the wall69 and the stud 62 will slide upwardly between the leaf springs 61. Thenby slightly tilting the tub 23, the stud 62 can be removed from betweenthe leaf springs 61 and the tub can then be withdrawn.

The stud 75 on the side frame 24 is undercut as at 78 (see Fig. 8). Theopening in the spring clip 74 is slightly larger in diam eter than theoutside diameter of stud 75 so that it can be readily placed thereon.hen spring 7 3 is stretched into position the bottom part of clip 74will move within the undercut portion 78 and a shoulder 79 formedthereby will prevent clip 74 from being accidentally disengaged fromstud 7 After tub 23 has been removed it is but necessary to remove thescrews 37 in order to remove the power head 22 from the frame 21.

The tie-bars 25, 26, and 27 are preferably formed by the usual castingmethods which result in the formation of an oblique surface 81 (see Fig.11) at each end of a bar. Thissurface 81 is called the draft in foundrypractice and is the result of using a pattern which is provided withsurfaces located in converging relation with respect to the mold so thatthe pattern may be withdrawn from the molding sand without disturbingit. Usually, draft surfaces are machined off, but in the presentinvention the surfaces 81 remain as naturally formed, and the frames 21and 24 are provided with oblique surfaces adapted to receive surfaces 81so that the bars will be secured at right angles to the frames.

The power head 22 includes a switch mechanism for reversing thereversible electric motor 32. This reversing switch, though it may beany suitable device for reversing certain circuits in the motor, ispreferably of the brush lifting type disclosed in the patent to Ralph L.Lee, No. 1,552,067, of September 1, 1925.

Referring to Figs. 12 and 13, motor armature 120 carries a commutator121 and is normally engaged by a brush 122 carried by brush arm 123which is pivoted on a post 124 and carries a roller 125 and a springclip stud 126. Commutator 121 cooperates with alternately liftingbrushes 127 and 128 carried respectively by brush arms 129 and 130provided with rollers 131 and 132 respectively. Brush arm 129 is pivotedat 124 and brush arm 130 is pivoted at 133. A spring 134 insulatinglyconnected with the spring clip stud 126 and a stud 129a carried by brusharm 129 normally tends to maintain the brushes 122 and 127 in engagementwith the commutator 1-1. A spring 135 is connected with a brush arm stud130a on the brush arm 130 and a post 136, and normally tends to maintainbrush 128 in engagement with the commutator 121. A manually operablebrush operating lever 137 is also fulcrumed on post 136 and has aportion 138 which is adapted to engage roller 125 to lift the brush 122out of engagement with the commutator 121. A notch 140 is provided bythe operating lever 137 into which the roller is adapted to rest afterbrush 122 has been lifted out of engagement with the commutator 121.Operating lever 137 projects through an opening 141 formed in the motorhousing.

The mechanism for automatically controlling the brush lifting reversingswitch comprises a lug 143 carried by gear which is adapted to engage aprojecting arm 144 carried by an oscillating shaft 145 when the gearrotates. Shaft 145 carries a camming member 146 secured thereto and isprovided with camming surfaces 147 and 148 adapted to alternately engagewith a roller 150 carried by an arm 151 which is pivoted at 152 andprovided with a projecting arm 153 which in turn is connected by aspring 154 to a stud 155. Spring 154 normally tends to maintainthe'roller 150 within notches 156 and 157 formed by the camming member146. During each swing of the gear 35 the lug 143 engages the projectingarm 144 to oscillate the cam member 146. Assume that the next movementof the cam member 146 will be in a clockwise direction from that shownin ig.'13, whereby the camming surface 14'? thereof will cause theroller 150 to move toward the apex at the junction of surfaces 147 and148. After roller 150 reaches said apex the spring 154 will cause roller150 to bear against the camming surface 148 and thereby cause roller 150to quickly rotate the cam member 146 clockwise as viewed in Fig. 13.Brush actuating cam 159 is shown broken away (the broken part howeverbeing shown in phantom by dot and dash lines). Cam 159 is provided withnotches 161 for receiving rollers 131 and 132. Cam 159 has a hole 163into which is adapted to project an actuating stud 164 carried by cammember'146.

Clockwise movement of the cam member 146 will cause the stud 164 to movewithin the hole 163. Further movement of the stud 164 will cause it toengage the wall of the hole 163 causing the cam 159 to move clock wise.Cam 159 will then engage the roller 132' to move it to the right asviewed in Fig. 13 causing the brush 128 to be lifted from the commutator121. At the same time the notch 161 will be removed from the roller 131,and spring 134 will then cause brush 12'! to engage commutator 121. Cam159 does not engage the roller 132 until the roller 150 has movedentirely across the camming surface 147 and is in engagement withcumming surface 148. At this time the camming member146 will then bemoved quickly causing the brush 128 to be moved away from the commutatorquickly and also causing the brush 127 to be quickly lowered intoengagement with the commutator 121. Thus, sparking at the brushes ismaterially reduced.

The motor 32 is provided with oppositely wound field windings 166 and167 which are adapted to produce opposite magnetic effects indicated byarrows 166a and 167 a re= spectively whereby the armature of the motorwill be caused to rotate in opposite directions when these windingsarerendered operative alternately. One side of the current source isconnected by wire 169 to the arm 123 of brush 122 while the other sideof the line is connected at terminal 170 with field windings 166 and167. VVindings 166 are connected with brush 128 and windings 1 67 areconnected with brush 127. Fig. 12 shows the brush 127 in engagement withcommutator 121 and therefore windings 167 are operable. After the motorhas rotated to such an amount that the lug 143 on the gear 135 causesthe oscillation of the brushes field winding 166 will become operable toretate the motor in the opposite direction.

The reversing switch is actuated to reverse the motor field while thetub is still moving toward the end of its swing and while the motor isrotating at full speed. Therefore the sudden reversal of the motor fieldamounts to applying a magnetic brake upon the motor armature tending toarrest its movement as well as to cause it to move in the oppositedirection. This magnetic brake contributes to the quick stopping of themotor and tub, and the mechanism for applying the brake also contributesto the quick acceleration of the motor and tub in the oppositedirection.

Means other than the mechanism for reversing the motor field areemployed to assist in bringing the tub quickly to rest at the end of itsswing and for rapidly accelerating the tub in the opposite direction ofswing. This means includes the driving leaf spring 61 and equalizingspring 7 3. During the operation of the motor the tub is driven throughthe leaf springs 61. Due to the weight of the tub and its contents thetub tends to lag behind the driving mechanism and therefore the springs61 are flexed in one directionrbut when the driving mechanism isreversed the momentum of the tub will cause the springs 61 to be flexedin the opposite direction. As the tub moves from horizontal toward itslimit of swing the spring 73 will also be considerably stretched beyondnormal. Both springs tend to overcome the momentum of the tub and thentend to accelerate the movement of the tub in the opposite direction.

The driving mechanism therefore includes means for quickly deceleratingthe swing of the tub just before the end of its swing and then quicklyaccelerating the swing of the tub in the opposite direction. The actionof the magnetic brake and of the springs 61 and 7 3 heretofore describedcontribute in quickly stopping the movement of the tub in one directionand the energy stored in the springs assists in rapidly accelerating themotor and tub in the opposite direction.

The deceleration and acceleration of the movement of the tub is fargreater than can be obtained by simple harmonic or crank motions. Thisis clearly illustrated in Fig. 19. The curve 185 shows the typicalvelocity characteristic of a crank arm operated swinging tub fordifferent periods of one swing, the crank having uniform motion. In thecrank arm operated washing machine, the velocity is relatively slow justafter starting aswing and gradually increases attaining the peak atabout midway of the swing, and then grad nally decreasing. Curve 186indicates, by wa of comparison with curve 185, the velocitycharacteristic of the movement of the tub when actuated by the drivingmechanism of the present invention. There is a rapid acceleration to amaximum velocity which is substantially maintained over a greaterportion of the time of swin and then a rapid deceleration to the time ofreversal. Such a characteristic is not possible in the usual crankmechanism employed to drive a moving tube washing machine, and theacceleration obtained is greater than possible with any simple harmonicmotion device which is governed by the laws of the sine curve. Thismotion of the tub indicated by curve 186 cooperates with certainelements of the tub to carry out the mode of washing to be described.

W ringer driving mechanism The driving mechanism of the wringer powerhead 30 is similarly constructed to that of the wash machine and isshown diagrammatically in Fig. 12. The driving mechanism 30 includes anarmature 172 which is normally engaged by a brush 173 and alternatelyengaged by brushes 17d and 175, respectively, connected with fieldwindings 176 and 177. The motor of the wringer is placed in parallelwith the motor of the washing machine and both are connected with asingle terminal plug 178.

The wringer motor is also reversed by re- "ersing the field of themotor. The levers carryingbrushes 174 and 175 and the retaining arm 151and the roller 150 are the same as that of the washing machine reversingswitch. A manually operated cam 180 (see Fig. 141) is substituted forautomatically actuated cam 159. Cam 180 is provided with three notches181, 182, and 183 for receiving roller 150. \Vhen the roller 150 islocated in notch 182 both brushes 175 and 171 will be held away from thecommutator whereby neither of the field circuits are operative and thearmature 172 will not rotate. Vhen the cam 180 is moved so that roller150 is received by notch 183 brush 17 1 will be in engagement withcommutator 172 and brush 175 will be out of engagement with thecommutator 172, and

therefore the motor field will be reversed to cause the motor to rotatethe wringer rolls in the opposite direction.

Tub constmctz'on Referring now to the Figs. 9 and 10 there is shown atub 23 and the screws 82 which secure the tub to the spiders 54 and 55.Tub 23 is oblong in horizontal section and is provided adjacent theopening at its upper end with deflectors 83. The tub is provided with acrowned and perforated false bottom or clothes supporting bai'llecomprising bafile plates 84 and 85 located above the bottom of the tuband providing a sediment space 86. Hinge strips 87 are secured to thesides of tub 23 and the batlle plates 84 and 85 are provided with hingeor hook members 88 which engage strips 87. The bafile plates 81 and 85project upwardly at a slight angle forming a crowned bafile or falsebottom, the crown being located at the central portion of the tub. Thebaffles 8 1 and 85 are held by suitable means in the position shown. Thesize and number of holes in the battle or false bottom are such as tocooperate with the driving mechanism in such a manner that the clotheswill be pressed against the plates by water issuing through the holes ina plurality of relatively small jets. These holes should not be toolarge or the cloths will become entangled with the bailles and will notslide along to receive the proper rubbing action. If the holes are toosmall then the action of the water will be unduly retarded, and thesuction pressure of the water tending to hold the clothes on the baflleand thus retarding their sliding movement would not be suflicent toeffect th proper washing action. The number of holes is preferably oneper square inch of total baffle area, and the ratio of solid baflle areato apertured bafile area is preferably 2.5 to 1.

Mode of operation The improved mode of washing clothes provided by thepresent invention is illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 16, 17 and18. The tub 23 is filled with water to a little above the horizontalplane of its supporting axis as indicated by the level 189 in Fig. 15. Abody of clothes 188 is placed upon the baflles or false bottoms 8 1 and85, the quantity of clothes being submerged a substantial distance belowthe level 189. As the tub swings counter-clockwise into the positionshown in Fig. 16 the clothes will tend to pile up as indicated at 18860against the left side of the tub while a portion of the clothes willtrail along as indicated at 1885 upon the battle 85. The clothes arebeing subjected to the action of a plurality of jets of water 190 and191 issuing respectively through the baffies 84 and 85 and in oppositedirections. Thus while the clothes are moving in the direction of arrow194 in Fig. 16 they are being subjected to the action of water indirections transverse to the direction of motion of the clothes alongthe baffle plates. The action of the jets 190 tends toretard the motionof the clothes because the currents of water tend to suck the clothesdownward ly through apertures in the baffle 85 and thereby tend to causethe clothes to be rubbed against the baflle plates as the clothes movealong the bafie plate and to retard the motion of the clothes relativeto the motion of the water.

While the clothes are moving in the direction of arrow 194 they aresubjected also to the action of the impact of water directed by the lefthand deflector 83 which causes the water to bediverted as indicated byarrow 192 and to be splashed upon the clothes from above as indicated bythe arrows 198.

the baffle plates they are being subjected to the action of water fromboth sides of the body of clothes, these streams tending to washthroughthe clothes.

The motion of the tub 23 in the counterclockwise direction is quicklyarrested by virtue of the driving mechanism heretofore described and itsmotion in the opposite dimotion is very rapidly accelerated. Thereextreme tilted positions, or substantially as soon as the tub hasarrived in position shown in Fig. 17, the water will have splashedagainst the right side of the tub with a substantial force and willbegin to be thrown up against the right hand deflector 83. At

this instant, as shown in Fig. 17, the clothes are traveling in thedirection of the arrow 199 but they cannot keep up with the water movingin this direction because of the retarding action of the jets 195 andalso because theclothes'do not reverse their motion as soon as themotion of the water is reversed. Therefore, by the time that the body ofwater has slapped against the right side of the tub the clothes haveproceeded to the right about as far as indicated by numeral 1880.Therefore, there is a space between the right end of the body of clothesand the right side of the tub as indicated by arrows 197, therefore aportion of the body of water following the course of arrows 195, 196 and197 assist in piling up the water to form a wave or crest indicated at198. This free flow of water assists in increasing the suction of waterproduced by jets 195 tending to increase the action of water whichretards the sliding of the clothes. Since the water is traveling fasterthan the clothes during the swing of the tub in the position shown inFig. 18, the water will be deflected by the right hand deflector 83thereby causing it to roll over in the direction of the arrows 201 and202 while the clothes are still moving in the direction of arrow 200.The clothes will trail behind as indicated at 188d in Fig. 18 because ofthe retarding action of jets 195 tending to press the clothes againstthe baflie 8 1 causing them to be subjected to a rubbing action.

The tub is quickly arrested and quickly accelerated in acounter-clockwise direction again so that the washing action will berepeated as heretofore set forth, the motions of the water and clothesbeing reversed.

It is apparent that the present invention provides for washing clothesby means producing the maximum difference between the motion of thewater and the motion of the clothes, while the clothes are being rubbed.More particularly, the process of washing includes subjecting theclothes to a rubbing action while subjecting the clothes to the actionof water transverse to the rubbing action and issuing in jets directedin a plurality of directions. While the clothes are being rubbed theyare also subjected to the action of a current of water passing in thedirection of the rubbing action, said current of water moving fasterthan the clothes. While the clothes are caused to rub along a supportthey are subjected to the action of water from both sides of the clothesand issuing through the clothes in a direction generally with that ofthe rubbing action.

The present invention therefore utilizes the force of water to cause theclothes to be rubbed against the surface as well as to cause the waterto be forced through the clothes in a plurality of directionssimultaneously. By virtue of these combinations of cleansing act-ions towhich the clothes are subjected simultaneously. the efliciency of thewashing process is greatly improved and therefore the time required forwashing has been materially reduced, and the clothes are washed cleanerand with less damage than heretofore possible.

To stop the operation of the tub, the motor is stopped by moving lever137 (Fig. 13). If the washing tub should come to rest in other than ahorizontalposition which'is the most convenient position for removal Iof the clothes, the tub can be manually returned to horizontal positionby pushing downwardly on one side or the other of the tub. The operatingmechanism includes the reversible worm gear drive 3 1 and 35, and shaft38 is connected with the tub by only one pair of gears 58, 57. Thereforethe tub can easily be moved manually to rotate the motor to permit thetub to be moved manually to a horizontal position. Therefore itis notnecesset to disconnect the tub from the motor an gearing by means of aclutch or otherwise.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described constitutes apreferred embodiment of one form of the invention, it is to beunderstood that other forms might be adopted and various changes andalterations made in the shape, size, and proportion of the elementstherein Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Washing apparatus comprising in combination, a tub adapted to have ato-and-fro motion; a reversible electrical driving means for operatingthe tub; and means for automatically reversing the direction of the current through the driving means before the latter completes its movementwhereby the driving means exerts force tending to reverse the tub,thereby quickly overcoming the momentum of the tub.

2. Washing apparatus comprising, in combination, a tub adapted to have ato-and-fro motion, a reversible electric motor for imparting such motionto the tub, and automatic means for controlling the electric connectionsof the motor to reverse the motor before the end of travel of the tub inone direction or the other.

3. Washing apparatus comprising, in combination, a tub adapted to have ato-and-fro motion; a reversible electric motor; yieldable drivingconnections between the motor and the tub; and means for changing theelectrical connections of the motor to reverse the driving effectthereof before the tub has reached the limit of travel in one directionor the other.

4:. Washing apparatus comprising, in combination, a tub adapted to havea toand-fro motion; aspring secured to the tub to hold it in normal,upright position; a reversible electric motor drivingly connected withthe tub; and means for reversing the electrical connections of the motorbefore the tub reaches the limit of travel in either direction, saidreversal causing the motor to act as a magnetic brake and to co-operatewith the 7 spring, first, rapidly to decelerate the movement of the tuband bring it to a stop, and second, rapidly to accelerate the tub in itsmovement in the opposite direction.

5. Washing apparatus comprising in combination, a tub adapted to have ato-and-fro motion; a reversible electric motor; yieldable drivingconnections between the tub and motor; a spring secured to the tub tohold it in normal, upright position; and means for reversing theelectrical connections of the motor before the tub reaches the limit oftravel in eitherdirection, said reversal causing the motor to act as amagnetic brake and to co- Operate with the yieldable driving connectlonsand the spring, first, rapidly to decelerate the movement of the tub andbring it to a stop, and second, rapidly to accelerate the tub in itsmovement in the opposite direction.

6. Washing apparatus comprising, in combination, a tub having stubshafts extending therefrom and pivoted to a frame so as to permitto-and-fro movement of the tub; a reversible electric motor having aportion of its drive shaft extending therefrom; driving connectionsbetween the motor and tub, comprising a toothed sector rotatably mountedon one of the stub shafts, a worn on the motor drive shaft, gearingconnections between the sector and worm and a shock absorbing connectingmember between the sector and tub; and means controlled by the gearingconnections for reversing the electrical connections of the motor beforethe tub reaches the limit of travel in either direction, said reversalcausing the motor to act as a magnetic brake, rapidly to decelerate themovement of the tub and bring it to a stop, after which the motor, aidedby the shock absorbing connecting'member, moves the tub 7 in theopposite direction with quick acceleration.

7. Washing apparatus comprising, in combination, a frame; a tub havingstub shafts extending therefrom, said shafts being ournaled in the frameso as to permit to-and-fro movement of the tub; a reversible motorhaving a drive shaft extending therefrom; a worm on said shaft; atoothed sector rotatably supported on one of the stub shafts; gearingconnections between the worm and toothed sector; blade springsconnecting the toothed sector and tub; and means controlled by themovement of the gearing connections for reversing the motor before thetub reaches the limit of travel in either direction, whereby the tub andmotor counteract to flex the blade springs, thereby rapidly to stop themovement of the tub and quickly reverse its direction of movement.

8. Washing apparatus comprising, in combination, a tub adapted to have ato and fro motion, means including an electric motor operativelyassociated with said tub for causing said to and fro motion, and meanscooperating with said motor for positively reversing the driving effectsof said motor before said tub has reached the limit of its motion in onedircotion'said first named means including means in addition to saidmotor for rapidly accelerating said tub to its maximum speed in theother direction after it has reached the limit of its travel in the saidone direction.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature.

RALPH L. LEE.

